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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Jun 11, 2007 8:44:38 GMT -6
Ahhh another classic series closer. Im still waiting for the final episode of Sesame Street
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Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Jun 11, 2007 8:47:25 GMT -6
Here's the spoiler The Letter 'Z'
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Jun 11, 2007 8:55:18 GMT -6
DAMN YOU
Edited to add: I always figured a run through the Cyrillic alphabet would be a sign of a run up to the finale
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Post by Chicago Jake on Jun 11, 2007 10:10:46 GMT -6
It turned out the entire series was just a bad dream Bob Newhart had because of some Japanese food before bedtime.
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Jun 11, 2007 10:13:54 GMT -6
It simply lacked Larry, Daryl and Daryl
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Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Jun 11, 2007 10:21:48 GMT -6
It turned out the entire series was just a bad dream Bob Newhart had because of some Japanese food before bedtime. Fugu.
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Post by Chicago Jake on Jun 11, 2007 10:47:08 GMT -6
Same to you, Fella!!
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Post by Merlot Joe on Jun 11, 2007 12:04:57 GMT -6
The sudden ending may have been a bullet going into Tony's brain from someone in the restaurant that we didn't see.
Meadow walks in the restaurant Tony looks up and bamm bullet in head.
Joe.
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Post by Dan on Jun 11, 2007 12:18:40 GMT -6
So for those of us who have NEVER watched an episode - would the entire series run on DVD be worth purchasing?
I just got interested in "24" this season and plan on spending time this summer watching the series from the beginning on DVD.
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Post by Cherbunny on Jun 11, 2007 12:46:54 GMT -6
So for those of us who have NEVER watched an episode - would the entire series run on DVD be worth purchasing? I just got interested in "24" this season and plan on spending time this summer watching the series from the beginning on DVD. Buy the Soprano's, 24, and The Shield. Cher~ Who enjoys a marathon DVD session
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Post by Lady Irie on Jun 11, 2007 12:57:28 GMT -6
i was really disappointed in that ending...WTF? i can see the leave 'em wanting more but after all the build up for the finale etc...it was a real let down....i just think it left too much open. so what was the point if ending the series at all if only to bring it back in some form.... i really liked iggys possible endings much better than what they did. I didn’t really think issues were left “open”. As a matter of fact, I thought quite the opposite. Tony got the last laugh, and reigned supreme over the other mob boss, putting him back on top of the food chain. He and Carmella finally accepted, and were proud of their daughter’s career ch-ch-change, (which would only serve to save himself future legal fees), and also accepted her engagement, solidifying a new family liason that otherwise would have been adversarial. Their son, finally freed from his own demons, in a “cleansing”, embarked on a new career path of materialistic fantasy, which made his parents equally happy, and Carmella was in the process of remodeling her newly acquired beach house. Every aspect indicated moving forward toward the future, and after all the personal family struggles with their differences, they finally came together as a family unit. As far as how it actually “ended”, I found it to be the ultimate “mind-fuck”, and the "build-up" was simply the means of bringing the viewer to that end. one explanation I read was that the sudden ending was a reference to the conversation Tony & Bobby had when they were in the boat on the lake at Bobby's summer place. Bobby had said (in reference to whacking someone), "When the end comes, you probably don't even hear it or see it coming". And that's exactly what happened when the scene/episode/series ended. It ended suddenly and we didn't hear it coming or see it coming. Way cool, Beeb. I like that tie-in. It’s that type of thing that make me want to watch the series again, because I know I’ve missed some of those subtleties. As far as not being able to “hear or see it coming”, that’s exactly why I thought the ending was brilliant. Who else in the history of television has been able to create such a reaction of mass confusion, from people, right in their own living rooms? The fact that a TV show, can create that emotion in people is amazing. No one saw it coming. If the ending was predictable, (with all the possible combinations of who could do what to whom), that folks have been chatting about for weeks, it would have simply been another “predictable” ending to a series. It’s the unpredictability of this series that has made it’s mark, and it ended with the same.
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Post by Lady Irie on Jun 11, 2007 12:59:35 GMT -6
It simply lacked Larry, Daryl and Daryl Those guys were hilarious!
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Post by iggy on Jun 11, 2007 13:10:07 GMT -6
If I would have responded right after the episode ended, I would have said " What the fuck kind of ending is that ", but after watching it a few more times, I kind of get what Chase was thinking.
This show was never supposed to be about the mob per say, it was meant to be about family and the pressures they go through on an everyday basis. Tony dealing with his wife and all of his infidelities, dealing with his mother issues, his son and daughter and the ch-ch-changes they have gone through over the last 8 years, dealing with Uncle Jun, Janice and Christopher. The mob family came 2nd to his blood family.
Chase did give us closure on a few issues. Tony is being indicted after Carlo flips, Phil is whacked, Tony makes peace with the NY family, Tony says the restitution for the killing of Bobby should go to Janice and the kids, After saying Uncle June should rot, he makes peace with him and understands Uncle Jun has no clue who he is, the only thing AJ needed to get out of his depression was a gf, a new BMW and a cushy job on a movie set, and Meadow getting into law because of the way Italians are treated.
The mixed signals in the final episode gave us enough to come up with our own conclusions. The guy sitting at the counter was Phil Leotardo's nephew, Nikki Leotardo. The trucker wearing the USA hat was the brother of the trucker Chrissy hijacked for the dvd players and killed. One of the 2 black guys was the one who tried to kill Tony but only shot him in the ear. The Boy Scouts who walked in were the same Boy Scouts in the hobby store when Bobby got whacked. I'm pretty sure one of the guys in the diner was the guy who owned the sporting goods store that Tony took over because of the guys gambling debts. What ending would Chase have us come up with? For the rest of his life, Tony will have to be looking over his shoulder, one of these people whacked Tony right when Meadow walked in, Tony gets sent to jail but only gets a few years because of the help he gave Harris with the terrorists? The cat kept staring at Christopher's picture, irritated Paulie and was good at killing rats. Was the cat actually Chrissy re-incarnated?
Would I have liked to see more bloodshed and closure to a few things? Sure, but Chase didn't give us closure on many things, so it wasn't that unusual that he left us to fend for ourselves and come up with our own conclusion. Chase did say the ending would have something to do with Season 1 and this is how season 1 ended. At the end of the day the only place Tony can find refuge is with Carmela, Meadow, and Anthony Junior at Artie Bucco's Nuovo Vesuvio Restaurant. As Tony raises a glass to his family a storm rages outside, literally and figuratively.
Thanks for a great 8 years David Chase.
Iggy
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Post by Lady Irie on Jun 11, 2007 13:20:50 GMT -6
Iggy, I love your perspective, and I agree that there's plenty of room for many different "conclusions."
As far as the identity of those in that last scene, now my mind is really blown, if what you are saying is true. That would be just another way of showing the ultimate in the manipulation of the mind, in that while looking for what possibly could be, makes one miss the moment.
Wow.
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Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Jun 11, 2007 13:27:56 GMT -6
The cat kept staring at Christopher's picture, irritated Paulie and was good at killing rats. Was the cat actually Chrissy re-incarnated? Another theory from the message board: the cat was actually Adrianna re-incarnated -- THAT'S why it was snarling at the picture of Christopher!
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Post by iggy on Jun 11, 2007 14:58:18 GMT -6
The cat kept staring at Christopher's picture, irritated Paulie and was good at killing rats. Was the cat actually Chrissy re-incarnated? Another theory from the message board: the cat was actually Adrianna re-incarnated -- THAT'S why it was snarling at the picture of Christopher! Not sure what the message boards say, but not sure why Ade would be antagonizing Paulie and Tony saying, " it's good at killing rats " Thats more Chris than Ade. Iggy
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Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Jun 11, 2007 15:06:55 GMT -6
My guess is that the people who drew this conclusion also borrowed on Paulie's naturally superstitious nature to come up with this idea. If he felt there was some supernatural power that the cat possessed (which *possibly* is what he was implying), then it makes sense that the cat would make him anxious. Not saying I buy into this theory, but I *did* find it amusing, nonetheless.
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Post by upsman on Jun 11, 2007 18:58:19 GMT -6
I heard some chatter about all 3 endings are on the upcoming dvd of the final season.
mikey
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Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Jun 12, 2007 9:36:52 GMT -6
I'm still obsessing over this ending. Here are the lyrics to the Journey song that ended the final scene, Don't Stop Believin' . If someone TiVo'd this episode, review the last scene again and see if it ends specifically on this section of the lyric -- if it does, then this may be Chase's little "message" to us ...
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Post by Merlot Joe on Jun 12, 2007 10:28:56 GMT -6
BB will check it out tonight. We have on demand with Comcast so I will see if this is so.
By the way if you wait long enough they will eventually show all 3 endings that they might have filmed on HBO without buying the DVD set for $150.00 or more.
Joe.
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Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Jun 12, 2007 10:39:37 GMT -6
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Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Jun 12, 2007 13:00:55 GMT -6
An exclusive post - Sopranos finale interview with David Chase, conducted by a writer from The Newark Star-Ledger (Tony's paper). blog.nj.com/alltv/2007/06/david_chase_speaks.htmlI haven't read this yet, but thought I would post the link because they were talking about it this morning on Howard Stern's radio show as part of their usual post mortem that they conduct after each Sopranos episode -- it sounded good and thought you guys might want to check it out, too.
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Post by Cherbunny on Jun 13, 2007 7:45:05 GMT -6
Here's what Steve Perry has to say about it: **********
While fans might wish the Sopranos could go on and on and on, at least one of the 11.9 million viewers of the show's Sunday finale felt the controversial ending hit the right note.
Former Journey frontman Steve Perry co-authored the 1981 song "Don't Stop Believin'," which provided the soundtrack for Tony Soprano's final HBO moments. He talked to PEOPLE.com about holding on to the feeling.
PEOPLE: When did you get the request to use the song for the finale? Steve Perry: A few weeks [ago]. I needed to know how this song was going to be used. I didn't want the song to be part of a blood-bath, if that was going to be the closing moment. In order for me to feel good about approving the song use, they had to tell me what happened. And they made me swear that I would not tell anybody. The song use actually just got approved last Thursday.
Was there any even implied threat that you'd get whacked if you told anybody the ending? (Laughs.) Yeah, Tony was gonna whack me if I talked. No, I didn't get any life threats. But I had to keep it quiet. I had friends that were really upset at me. They knew I knew.
Where did you end up watching the show? I watched it here in my house in Del Mar; I'm just north of San Diego. On my flat screen, yeah. Hi def, by the way. (Laughs.) Actually, I was home alone that night.
What was it like from your couch? I loved when Tony is going through the little jukebox at the table. They stayed really tight on Tony Bennett, and I thought, "Well, there it is, Tony would play Tony Bennett." He presses the buttons and the next thing you know a Journey song starts. But the tension was insane. I'm getting worried that he's being whacked. And then they cut back, and Tony looks up and it goes black. In my opinion, he sees his daughter, but I guess we'll never know the ending. But the point of the song playing is that you just don't give up, life goes on even if you're the Sopranos. It doesn't matter what you do for a living. In the midst of his turbulent life and everything, there's always this sense of family and this sense of dreams and hopes for some kind of normalcy – some kind of don't-give-up, don't-stop-believing feeling. I actually shouted "All right!" at the end.
What's the reaction been? The phone has been ringing off the hook and my email has been on fire. One friend e-mailed me, "Congratulations. The end of the entire legacy of the Sopranos ended with your song." What bigger honor is that?
Have you gotten a call from The Simpsons or anyone else with a show about to end? You know, South Park might be next.
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Post by Lady Irie on Jun 13, 2007 18:56:09 GMT -6
review the last scene again and see if it ends specifically on this section of the lyric Great work Sherlock! I'd say that's a pretty strong clue you've found. That's been on my list of things to do (look up the words to that song), and I haven't had the time. However, I've been obsessing too, and I just watched the last episode for the third time last night. When Gandolfini looks up as Meadow is supposedly walking in the door, the song ends with the word " STOP" just as it cuts to black. The chorus is: You know, I've been thinking this, and I think what we got with the ending is much like what I get from reading a book. You know how when you read a book, then see the movie, it's no where near as good? I think for the first time, television has created that same experience. It allowed the power of the mind to expand on what was seen, the way one does when reading, which I think is an amazing feat for television. It makes me wonder if those who enjoy reading, found the ending more acceptable than those who don't.
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Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Jun 14, 2007 9:00:47 GMT -6
However, I've been obsessing too, and I just watched the last episode for the third time last night. When Gandolfini looks up as Meadow is supposedly walking in the door, the song ends with the word "STOP" just as it cuts to black. I have to admit that I do take some comfort knowing that I'm not the only one obsessing over this -- I ALSO watched the replay of that episode for the 3rd time last night! You're totally right about where the song ends -- the lyrics I referenced are heard in the background, but the song continues for a while after that. You know, I've been thinking this, and I think what we got with the ending is much like what I get from reading a book. You know how when you read a book, then see the movie, it's no where near as good? I think for the first time, television has created that same experience. It allowed the power of the mind to expand on what was seen, the way one does when reading, which I think is an amazing feat for television.
It makes me wonder if those who enjoy reading, found the ending more acceptable than those who don't. That's a great point. Now that I've had a chance to live with the ending for a few days (especially after repeated viewings), I can both accept and appreciate it more. Regardless of how you interpret it (and I think there are multiple valid interpretations), Chase did an outstanding job of creating extraordinarily heightened tension in the last 5 minutes of the show -- consider the fact that people are still discussing it days later as proof, if needed.
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Post by iggy on Jun 20, 2007 5:48:27 GMT -6
This is a long read but very enjoyable and points out things I never thought of or noticed while atching the final episode. He thinks Tony got whacked. Like I said, it's a long read but very informative. www.bobharris.com/content/view/1406/1/ Iggy
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Post by Lady Irie on Jun 20, 2007 8:11:30 GMT -6
What an amazing read, Iggy! I found myself absolutely devouring every bit of what he posted. Without a doubt it's one hell of an interesting perspective, and one that is hard to find fault. I have to agree that what Chase has done with the Sopranos has earned him a spot next to Godfather, as far as use of allusions. I'm looking forward to BB's thoughts on this as I am sure he has the Godfather down to a science, and I've unfortunately forgotten much of the imagery in the Godfather over the years. Given Chases' attention to detail, even the items this blogger suspects could be simply "cool coincidences", I'm more inclined to believe they were all planned "coincidences". I have to say, there were certain things that I personally wondered about that did stand out in my mind at the time as being significant, however I couldn't figure out why. I did note how Tony looked in bed that morning. I thought he was dreaming that he was dead. I did note the orange, because it did seem to be an odd focal point of the camera, but I didn't know why it would be. The appearance of the cat dumbfounded me as Chase doesn't seem to do anything without reason, and this particular new appearance made me wonder what precipitated that choice. It was too random, not to have reason, and too significant to be random. I also thought the eating of the onion rings was odd, but never made the connection. As far as the colors of the scenes, and references to the Last Supper, and Catholic mass - mind blowing. I absolutely did notice the two references to This Magic Moment as that's been one of my most favorite songs, and in looking up the lyrics it also could be a huge hint about the Members Only Guy. And then it happened It took me by surprise I knew that you felt it too I could see it by the look in your eyes Sure, Members Only Guy looked suspicious, that was obvious. I thought it was done to throw people off - you know, just to mess with people's heads. However, pointing out the tidbit of the Members Only jacket, the reference to the Godfather's bathroom scene, and the orange, I see a three credit college course in the near future on this one! What makes me think this blogger could be onto something is that many of the things I mentally noted as being "odd", and that I had no explanation at the time, are some of the very things he is pointing out as being significant. There was a reason at the time these things stood out in my mind, I just didn't know why. Man, do I feel humbled by this whole experience!
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Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Jun 21, 2007 10:03:50 GMT -6
I'm looking forward to BB's thoughts on this as I am sure he has the Godfather down to a science, and I've unfortunately forgotten much of the imagery in the Godfather over the years. WHEW! That *was* a long read! I also tried reading some of the external links he referenced, but finally had to stop because it was just taking me way too long to get through that blog. It was a good read with some well thought out concepts, but some of them were a real reach (which he himself admits). One interesting idea he had was that it was not Tony, but AJ that got hit. That one would make more sense to me because of how deeply it would hurt Tony, whose team has whacked family members of other crews before (both intentionally and not). That said, however, I don't think anyone got whacked -- or at least, if they did, it wasn't by Butchie's crew. I'm totally convinced that he was done with all that shit (based on his phone call with Phil). With all this guy's Godfather allusions, I would also suggest one more possibility: based on the conversation Tony had with Meadow at the Japanese restaurant in the final episode, I think that Chase was suggesting that Meadow might be a future consigliere for Tony's crew (whether or not Tony would still be around by that time is another matter entirely -- but it's clear that someone would need to replace Silvio ... possibly sooner rather than later, based on where we left him). You'll recall that Meadow said her reason for ch-ch-changing to law was because of the anti-Italian discrimination she saw against her family and her father's friends. She's beginning to sympathize with her Italian tradition, just as we saw Michael Corleone evolve in Godfather I (remember at the wedding, he said to Diane Keaton, "That's my family, that's not me"). Also, in Godfather, Tom Hagen was consigliere; Michael eventually fired him ("You're out, Tom") because he needed a Sicilian advising him. Tom was seen as an outsider because of his heritage; Meadow, if she became consigliere (as I suspect she might), would be seen as an outsider because of her sex. As the show constantly pounded into us, the mob was ch-ch-changing -- this kind of a ch-ch-change might be one that I could see happening.
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Post by Lady Irie on Jul 7, 2007 3:09:26 GMT -6
Sunday nights just aren't the same..... Almost seems like an old friend has gone away.
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Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Jul 7, 2007 8:19:01 GMT -6
You said it. I think pretty soon, I'm going to have to dip into my DVD collection and start watching all the episodes from Season 1 up to the 1st half of Season 6 all over again.
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